July 10, 2019

One of the more consistent debates among my angst-ridden
generation of parents is the one about the dreaded Participation Trophy. There are those out there that believe that
children who are given trophies for mere participation gain self-confidence and
the willingness to try new things, and there are those out there that believe
that the awarding of trophies to children for mere participation waters down
true achievement, creates a sense of entitlement which does not prepare them
for the let-downs of the real world, and gives kids a feeling that hard work
isn’t necessary for reward.

The Luck of the Draw Run, which took place yesterday
afternoon, is one of the more perfectly conceived Nebagamon events that respects
both sides of this debate. It is an all
camp marathon (a Kaplan style marathon that is…..1.2 miles!). Like any race, the top finishers in all of
the age divisions are announced and celebrated for their achievement, but
additionally, there is another set of winners.
The Luck of the Draw Run is so named because the ultimate winners are determined
by randomly pairing runner times, so at the end of the day, it is the two
randomly selected runners with the lowest COMBINED time that win the race and whose
names are permanently enshrined on the Luck of the Draw trophy in the Rec Hall.

This bit of genius allows for the serious athletes and
competitors in the camp family to press themselves and get recognized for their
hard work and talent, and it also encourages participation from those that just
wish to be involved, have fun, and maybe even win! The Luck of the Draw invites a broad range of
participation that is truly a joy to behold.

The announcements about the best times and the random
pairings are made during dinner. It is
always a lot of fun. There are the
moments when we are genuinely impressed, “Gosh, I didn’t realize what a strong
runner you are…way to go!” and there are the hilarious moments when the top
finishing counselor is paired with the boy that walked the course
backwards….they didn’t win. There are
the really cool coincidences that make us all smile, like the two brothers that
got paired together, or when a camper and his counselor were matched. It’s all truly entertaining and a great all
camp bonding moment.

As cool as learning about and admiring the results of the
race, for me the best part is getting to watch the race itself.

From my perch on the Big House porch (yes, I know I said it
was a Kaplan style marathon at only 1.2 miles, but I still managed to be “too
busy” to get out there!), I was treated to all sorts of athletes. Within the first couple of minutes I was
amazed at the speed and grace of some of camp’s most elite runners of all
ages. These are folks for whom running
up the hill just outside the Big House seemed like an effortless saunter in the
afternoon. (This is the same hill that
requires me to stop for a water break halfway up during even the most leisurely
stroll….although I tell the kids it is because I think that water fountain has
THE best water in camp! Shhhhhh….don’t
sell me out ok?) They were followed up by those kids that were giving it their
all (and Steph), but you could see on their faces (and Steph’s) that this was
really difficult for them. Nevertheless,
their determination and grit propelled them to the top of that hill with enough
energy to squeeze out a smile and occasionally even a wave as I called out
their names in a cheer of support.

Following all of these more serious runners came the more
unique runners. There were three-legged
racers (kids who had tied two of their feet together). There were counselors running while carrying a
bicycle above their heads (yeah, I couldn’t figure that one out either!). There were boys that had tied the laces of their
own shoes together to shorten their strides (and yes, increase injury
opportunities, but we emerged unscathed!) There were older boys portaging a canoe along
the route. There were also straight up
walkers…and aforementioned backwards walkers.
Perhaps the participants I most enjoyed watching were the teams of
racers. For some reason, this year, we
had quite a few teams of blindfolded racers paired with a friend that guided
them through the course either by hand or, in the most challenging cases, by simply
using verbal commands and not physical assistance to guide their partners. These participants ranged in age from Swampers
to Lumberjacks. Sometimes two Swampers were
paired together, sometimes a Logger and a Lumberjack worked together. There was
just about every permutation imaginable.
It was a great reminder that after three weeks, we truly have become a
real (camp) family in which we all enjoy each other, regardless of age.

It was just plain fun…

(You see how I brought up the whole Participation Trophy
issue and avoided offending anyone by not taking a side? Pretty slick huh?)

Last night we had our final Special Interest of the
session. Fire reigned
supreme. We had a floating campfire on
the waterfront, cooking bread on a stick over a campfire in orienteering (so so
so good!!), and combustion experiments in our nature program. A bunch of kids at summer camp learning
about, enjoying, and yes, even kinda playing with fire…the kind of stuff that
you are just not allowed to do as a kid……except at camp. And then it is AWESOME!!! Then for good measure we threw in some Derby
Pie cooking, a slam dunk competition, a tea party on top of the wall, and a
couple of fun target/archery options.
There was something for everyone and we all had a blast!

This is too much fun…..can someone please slow the clocks!

All is well in the North Woods…

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Throughout the session, Director Adam Kaplan will post updates to keep you informed of the activities taking place at camp. If you would like to speak with Adam directly, call him at (715) 374-2275 or by email at adam@campnebagamon.com

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